Los Angeles hires its first chief data officer

Alice Walton

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Three months after he relaunched the city's open data website, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the appointment of the city's first chief data officer Wednesday.

Abhi Nemani previously worked at Code for America, a nonprofit that uses technology to help local governments work on civic problems.

"Data has the power to transform the daily lives of L.A. residents and visitors. Knowing where your money is going, where a parking space is available, and where an event is taking place puts information into the hands of those who need it most," Nemani said in a statement provided by the Mayor's Office.

The mayor has said data-driven policies will be a centerpiece of his administration. He launched DataLA last October, which included crime statistics, employment figures and information on city vendors. The website relaunched this spring. Prior to the reboot, the LA Weekly reported the website received just 34 pageviews a day.

The Controller's Office runs a similar website, Control Panel LA, with financial information for the city.